US and UK launch new attack in Yemen; Houthis say capital was targeted

The United States and the United Kingdom carried out new attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, marking the eighth such operation on rebel infrastructure in just over 10 days, two US defense officials told Reuters. CNN.

Nasr Al-Din Amer, head of the Houthi-run Saba news agency, said the attacks hit Yemen's capital Sana'a and the cities of Taiz, Al-Bayda and Hajjah.

President Joe Biden spoke with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier on Monday about a range of topics, including security in the Red Sea, the White House said.

A CNN previously reported that the US named the operation to target Houthi assets in Yemen “Operation Poseidon Archer,” suggesting a more organized and potentially long-term approach.

The United States has attacked Houthi targets in Yemen eight times since January 11, with most of the attacks carried out unilaterally.

The first offensive, in which the US and the UK struck approximately 30 locations in Yemen in the Houthi-controlled region, marked the beginning of Operation Poseidon Archer, an official highlighted.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh stressed on Monday that the Houthis had not launched a new attack on commercial shipping since January 18.

Houthis say they attacked American ship; US denies

The Houthis claimed on Monday that they attacked a US-owned cargo ship, the M/V Ocean Jazz, but a US defense official told CNN that the statement was not true.

“The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists’ report of an alleged successful attack on the M/V Ocean Jazz is egregiously false,” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement.

“NAVCENT maintained constant communications with the M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit.”